


Tears Over Beers

by got_a_penny



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Rated Mature for Later Chapters, Slow Burn, also everyone is in this fic pretty much lol, more ships later on, xoxo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:40:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21743911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/got_a_penny/pseuds/got_a_penny
Summary: Liebgott would rather croak than have some teacher's pet help him boost his grade. A complete stranger no less. Meanwhile, his roommate Luz is off planning a weekend party, and having an ambiguous interaction with someone he's more than infatuated with.
Relationships: George Luz/Joseph Toye, Joseph Liebgott/David Kenyon Webster
Comments: 6
Kudos: 19





	1. Tuesday

**Author's Note:**

> Hhhhh this is the first fic I've ever shared online and I'm so nervous lol. Hope it isn't completely out of character! ...or terrible haha. Either way, I'm gonna write more. There are a ton of ships I want to add onto this. So I'll either keep adding new chapters or splinter off into a different series. We'll see!
> 
> Obviously, no disrespect is meant towards the real men. This is completely based on the miniseries. And the inner workings of my brain. Hope y'all enjoy! <3
> 
> Fic title is a song by Modern Baseball.

“How in the hell are you failing literature?” Babe held up the grade card in utter shock, his eyes scanning over the paper in disbelief. Annoyed at his mistake, Liebgott thumped his head onto the hard cafeteria table. Lit was the only class he’d been slacking in, for the simple fact that he didn’t give a shit about books that were decades old. He couldn’t see the point in grasping their concepts or their outdated phrasing, so he didn’t feel the need to try. Now, the regret of his laziness was catching up to him.

“Because, I don’t care about reading. I’m an Engineering major, I shouldn’t have to care about the 13 hidden meanings behind Lord of the Flies.” He popped his head up, snatching the paper back from the Philadelphia boy’s mitts. Babe snorted and shook his head in disbelief.

“I can’t believe you read Lord of the Flies in a college literature class. I read that in 10th grade...” he mumbled, bringing his juice bottle to his lips. Liebgott’s pointed gaze lingered on him; the hairy eyeball. Babe gulped his drink hard, intimidated by the upperclassman. “Anyway, how are you going to pass this class? The end of the semester is coming up on your ass quick, Liebgott.” He ran a hand through his dark hair in frustration, whipping his phone out in search of an email his professor had sent him.

“I got this from Winters earlier today. Said he’s sending some egghead to my dorm room tomorrow to ‘improve my comprehension skills’.” He held up air quotes and rolled his eyes. Babe laughed at his friend’s sour attitude. Liebgott always got himself into stickiest situations.

“Who’s the egghead then?” Babe raised an eyebrow and tapped his fingers over the tabletop in wonder. Liebgott shrugged, skimming through the email once more.

“Some English major named David. Guess he tutors lots of slackers such as myself.” He shrugged and pocketed his phone. Babe didn’t have a single clue who the guy could be, which didn’t ease Liebgott’s mind. This “David” character seemed to be an anomaly. They didn’t share any classes, that he knew of, but from the sounds of it Winter’s seemed fond of him. He couldn’t tell if that soothed his nerves or not. Not that he was nervous, per say. He didn’t get along with snooty English majors more often than not, so conflict might be inevitable. Their conversation halted when Bill Guarnere sauntered over, looking disgruntled as ever. He flopped down in the seat next to Babe, giving them both a nod hello.

“Remind me to never give these hacks money for food ever again.” He slammed his tray down, spaghetti sauce staining the off-white table. “Never eat on spaghetti day, how could I forget?” He slapped his head in mock self discipline. Liebgott ignored his friend’s complaints to try and ease his curiosity at last.

“Hey Gonorrhea, you heard of an English major named David?” Bill grimaced, staring the other in the face with no reply. Liebgott’s eyes widened like he was eager for a reply.

“Is there a punchline I’m supposed to guess here?” Liebgott face palmed, the question completely missing its mark.

“Christ, no Bill I’m asking for real. This David guy is gonna come and help me boost my Literature grade before Winters fails my dumb ass. I wanna get a feel for who I’ll be working with and if they’re a complete douche or not.” Bill's chuckle was cold. He swirled a fork full of cheap cafeteria spaghetti but hesitated to take a bite.

“How sweet. You’ve got a little study buddy to help with your kiddie books.” Bill was completely unphased by the look of hatred in Liebgott’s eyes. “I bet you're getting stuck with that priss, David Webster. He’s in some of my classes.” Finally. A name. Yet the connotation made his skin crawl.

“Oh, Webster!” Babe chimed. He swiped up Bill’s abandoned garlic bread from his plate, talking through a full mouth. “I know him, he’s a library assistant. He’s always hovering around that dusty dump.”

“He’s a priss, huh?” He sighed. Bill snorted and poked him in the chest in warning.

“I tell ya what, Liebgott, there is no way you two are going to get along. You’ll get on about as well as cats and dogs. Hell, you’ll be lucky if it’s that peaceful.” Liebgott steamed in his spot, feeling flighty. Babe threw his head back in a laugh.

“That or you’ll fall in love with the guy. He’s a real piece of eye candy.” Babe winked at him, wiggling his eyebrows. Liebgott rolled his eyes. Without another word, he stood, grabbing up his backpack and heading out.

“I’ll catch you guys later, I gotta talk to Winters.” And he was gone in the blink of an eye.

“Use protection!” Babe called after his running form. He turned to his remaining friend, one brow raised. “Gee, Guarnere, is David actually that bad?” Bill shrugged, playing with his food.

“I dunno. I’ve hardly talked to the guy.” Babe smirked and mumbled something about the other being a complete dick.

***

He burst through the door of Winters classroom unannounced. The professor sat at his desk grading papers, the red pen in his hand coming to a halt from the commotion.

“We gotta talk, sir.” he said it like he owned the place and Winters sat back in his chair with a polite and calm smile, as always.

"Come right in. I had a hunch I'd be seeing you soon. It's about the tutor, right?" Liebgott feigned embarrassment. Winters always seemed to know exactly what his students were thinking. That seemed to make him a favorite around Toccoa University.

“Is there any other way I can raise my grade before the semester ends? Ya know, without this snooty guy coming over and making me feel like an asshole?” Winters shrugged one shoulder and his smile flat lined.

“This is by all means an extra credit assignment. No one is getting this opportunity, or needs it, except you.” He stared down at his shoes in embarrassment, avoiding eye contact. Winters was a professor he respected a lot, and doing so shitty in this class made him feel ashamed of himself. Not that he’d ever admit that out loud. “You can pick any book from the list I emailed you, any you want. If you read it and turn in a report by the end of the week, I’ll bump your grade up to a C. If you do well on your finals, you can pass with flying colors. Only five thousand words. That sounds more than reasonable to me. I don’t want to see you fail, Joe.” He reached a hand out and grasped his students shoulder with a reassuring smile. Ah, gee. That hit Liebgott right in the nads. He sighed, conflicted with himself.

“It’s not the report that’s the problem. I don’t get why I need a study buddy.” He cringed at his own words, Bill’s mocking tone echoing in his head. “It’s a bit humiliating if you ask me.” He crossed his arms and sat on the edge of Winter’s desk.

“It will help you a lot, I guarantee it. David’s grades are always flawless. Plus he’s a nice guy, he shouldn't give you any trouble.” He glanced over Liebgott’s form, legs dangling over the edge of his table. “And get down from there, this isn’t a load bearing desk.” He snorted and hopped off.

“Yeah, whatever, I guess I’ll suffer through it then. Better than failing and having to retake this boring… uh, fantastic class that I will miss ever so much.” He said it with a fake sweet smile. Winters raised a questioning brow at him, but a knock at the door delayed his rebuttal. Saved by the bell. Lewis Nixon, a history professor, opened the door and lingered there, polite as ever. He looked back and forth between the two men, seeming uncomfortable.

“Am I interrupting something important?” he pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. He always seemed to hang around Winters’ office in his down time. Weird. Liebgott slipped away from the desk, waving back at his professor.

“Nah, we’re done here. I’ll get that report in to you, sir, I swear on it.” He sped back down the hallway, in his typical hurried fashion. Winters grinned at the stunned Nixon still standing in the doorway.

“Man, You sure know how to give a pep talk, huh? What’s your secret?” He picked his pen back up and continued marking the paper he had neglected during their chat.

“I have my ways.”

***

The next day came quicker than he anticipated. Liebgott sat on the couch of his dorm room in an awkward but somehow comfortable position, phone in hand. Winters had sent him a second email; a list of the books he could choose from. Frustrated by his lack of interest in anything on the list, he tossed his phone on the couch in easy defeat. This was already feeling like a dud. At least he had no classes that day, which gave him plenty of time to work… once he actually started his report. This would be a long ass day.

From behind, he heard his roommate’s door open, and out walked George Luz, the biggest goofball he had ever known. As soon as they made eye contact, Luz grew a great big smile. He could almost smell the mischief radiating off of his friend.

“What are you up to, Luz?” He sat up on the couch and Luz plopped on the floor next to him and started to pull his sneakers on.

“I’ve got something big planned for the weekend. I’m about to go buy my supplies.” Liebgott squinted, not liking the sound of that.

“Your vagueness frightens, but intrigues me. Tell me more, Luz.” The older man popped up from the floor and rubbed his hands together.

“We’re throwing a party, fit with alcohol and a whole night of not giving a shit about finals week. Our last hurrah, if you will.” Luz shot finger guns at him and Liebgott couldn’t help his tiny smirk.

“I dunno about this ‘we’ shit, man. I’ve got a lot of work to do up until finals week. I might have to sit this one out.” Luz’s smile fell and his mouth gaped wide, like his whole world had crashed down.

“Aw, no way man! You’ve gotta join in. I want everyone to be there… well all the boys, at least.” He held his chin and seemed to shake the thought from his head. “Anyway, how much work could you possibly have to do before then? It's only Tuesday.” He grunted, tired of explaining his situation to people out of the loop.

“I’m failing one of my classes, so I have to work with a tutor on some extra credit work. He’ll be here any minute and I haven’t even started the assignment.” The other man tsked, and Liebgott couldn’t fathom the humiliation of George fucking Luz looking down on him. “Yeah so I don’t know when I’ll finish. I hope in time for it to fix my shitty grade.”

“That’s real rough, buddy. I’m sure you’ll be able to crank something out in time though. Especially with some brainiac bookworm helpin’ you out. Who is the guy, anyway?” Luz asked while slipping a jacket on and grabbing his car keys from their coffee table. Liebgott noticed it was his jacket. Luz was always stealing his clothes for some reason. He shrugged it off anyway. He had more important things to worry about.

“David Webster. You know him?” Luz shrugged. Another person oblivious to David’s existence. Oy vey.

“Doesn’t ring a bell, but I’m sure he’s a nice guy if Winters recommended him. Don’t sweat it.” He gave him a small smile. As soon as Luz grasped the handle of their front door, a firm knock came from the other side. “Wow, speak of the devil and he shall appear.” He opened the door, and before them stood a tall brunette, too well dressed and suave for his own good. The backpack slung over his shoulder looked close to bursting at the seams. Luz didn’t even attempt to hide the obvious up and down look he gave the man, making his flirting glance obvious.

“Hello! I’m supposed to be helping Joseph Liebgott with an essay. Are you him?” Luz’s Cheshire cat smile reappeared and he leaned on the door frame.

“I can be whoever you want me to be.” He teased, but it seemed to go over the other's head, his polite smile staying in place. Poor bastard. Liebgott scoffed from his seat and came up from behind, pushing his roomie out the door and into the hall.

“I’m Joe, it’s nice to meet you.” He stuck his hand out and David took it without hesitation. “Sorry about George, he’s a bit of a joker.” David shrugged and stepped in none the less, and Luz feigned a hurt look, hand to his chest.

“I, for one, am offended. I wasn’t joking at all.” Liebgott gave him a look that said both ‘go away’ and ‘if you don’t go away, I’ll put you in the ground.` He took the hint like a breeze. “You boys have fun. Nice meetin’ ya!” He winked at David and shut the door behind himself as he left.

And then there were two. The air between them felt stale and still, like they were from alien worlds. Which was kind of true; their majors couldn’t be any more different from one another. It was obvious by the looks of David that he had more money than Liebgott could imagine. His thick cable knit sweater and the polo underneath were a dead give away to that. Only rich college boys wore layers, of course. It hurt to admit, but he was a good looking guy though. Damn, he hated when Babe was right.

“I never introduced myself. I’m David Webster, I’m here to help you crank this paper out ASAP. It shouldn’t take long at all if we use my system that I always go by. I’m thinking we’ll work two or three days at the very most.” He sat on the couch and placed his bag by his feet. “Are you ready?” He smiled, scooting over to give the other a place to sit next to him. Liebgott already felt the load of work on his shoulders.

“Only three days? Do I look like I can write a five thousand word paper out that fast?” He crossed his arms as he sat, disbelief wracking his body. This guy might be hot, but he was still an overachieving teacher’s pet. David tsked, and Liebgott was getting tired of people making that noise at him.

“I don’t want to overwhelm you, but my methods are very simple and effective. Have you chosen which book you’d like to read?” He shrugged, not sure how to proceed with David bouncing from topic to topic.

“Uh, I’ll be honest. I’m not interested in any of the books on the list from what I’ve seen.” David furrowed his brow, like he didn’t understand the words spoken to him.

“Well, lucky for you, I have a tablet with every book on the list, so we have whichever one you choose on hand already. To make writing this report easier, we’ll have to read together. Is that okay with you?” It was Liebgott’s turn to look confused and unsure of himself.

“I guess that’s okay… You mean like, read it out loud, or pass it back and forth, or what?” David smirked carding his fingers through his dark, tousled hair.

“I suppose it’s whatever you would prefer. This for your benefit, so whichever makes you comfortable. I’m here to help with the writing part of this report more-so than the reading.” David chuckled, and the smug sound of it rubbed him the wrong way. He continued before Liebgott could get a word in. “We should decide which book you’d like to read, that would be the best starting point, of course. I’m familiar with them all, so I can recommend what might fit your tastes best. What genres do you like?” What a damn chatterbox. How hard was it to shut your mouth? Liebgott sat back, feeling uncomfortable in his own dorm room.

“I mostly read comic books. Never was that big on novels. Sci-fi is fun. Fat chance you’ve got anything like that, huh?” David grinned, and of course Liebgott took it as a mock, condescending look. He opened the zipper of his backpack and pulled out a small tablet, its screen covered in smudges.

“You’re in luck. ‘War of The Worlds,’ by H.G. Wells sounds right up your alley." Liebgott raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“That's a Sci-fi story? Would it be good for a report?” David smirked, and Joe could practically feel the spiel about to fall from his lips.

“At face value, it’s a simple story about an alien invasion and the survival of man. Yet at its core it’s a reflection of Man’s fear of one another. There’s a lot to uncover there. Does that seem like something that would interest you? It was written in 1897, so it might be a bit of a tough read for you.” He cocked his head to the side like a dog, and it took all Liebgott’s will to keep his eyes from rolling out of his skull.

“I think I can handle reading.” The brain gave a small thumbs up and returned his attention to the book bag at his feet. Liebgott gave a sneer to his inattentive form, and when David sat back up he was holding a crisp notebook and a ballpoint pen.

“We’re going to go chapter by chapter. At the end of each one, we’ll write a synopsis on what it could mean besides what the text says out right. We could finish the book today, have a rough draft done, and complete the final paper tomorrow. Does that sound okay to you?” David seemed awful damn proud of himself for being such a goody two shoes. He leaned back against the couch.

“That’s an awful lot of work for two days. Doesn’t that seem kinda like overkill?” David shrugged. He opened the app to the first page of the book, skimming over the words like he was trying to prepare himself.

“I’ve always been able to do it. I figured you’d want this over with as fast as possible.” Liebgott gave an almost imperceptible groan under his breath.

“I suppose we oughta get to work then. You’ll have to crack the whip at me a bit, it's obvious I’m a huge slacker who can’t comprehend anything.” David actually raised an eyebrow at that, and Joe felt a twinge of pride at being able to crack through his facade. His tutor ignored it though and passed the tablet to him.

“If you want to start reading out loud, I’ll listen along.” Liebgott flushed from his cheeks to his long neck. He was one of the most loud mouthed students at Toccoa. He could crack a loud joke in a quiet classroom of people he didn’t know and felt no shame in it. Reading aloud to one extremely hot and intelligent English major? That made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He cleared his throat and stared down at the small print on the screen.

“No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century... t-that…” He paused a moment, swallowing to ease his scratchy throat. He glanced up and met David’s bright gaze, a reassuring smile blooming. Jeeze.

“There’s no need to be nervous, Joe. You’re doing well.” He squinted, annoyed at the praise, and continued reading the chapter. He tried his best to ignore David’s presence, and that cold blue stare.

***

When Luz left the apartment, he had one thing on his mind: buying as much booze as he could fit in his car for this party. Well, that and stopping by the school’s computer lab to finish his last assignment of the semester. Which he’d been putting off for the last 2 days. He let out an audible groan when he remembered it, and set off to the lab. His plotting would have to wait.

As expected, the computer lab was a graveyard. Rows and rows of empty computers and the buzzing of electronics filled the silence. It was always empty on Tuesdays. As much of a social butterfly as George was, he preferred working in the dead silence of an empty room. He was too easily distracted when there were people to entertain around him.

As he walked further into the room, he heard the familiar tapping of fingers against a keyboard. On the other side of the room sat a dark haired man, typing away and oblivious to Luz's presence. When he realized who it was, he thanked whatever deity was watching over him in that moment.

Joe. Fucking. Toye.

A man Luz had hardly spoken to, but was oh so fond of. Well, scratch that. Luz talked at him a sickening amount, but Joe was a man of very few words. He seemed grumpy most days, but he was never mean to Luz. More like… he tolerated Luz's existence. Which was enough of an invitation for the hyperactive man to talk Joe's ear off whenever he saw fit. He smirked to himself and sauntered closer, noticing Joe had headphones in.

Out of all the computers he could have picked, he dropped his bag by one right next to Joe and took a seat. So much for staying focused. Joe glanced over, his trance of typing broken, and Luz waved his hand, since he (presumably) couldn't hear. The corner of the man's mouth twitched upward a bit.

"What're you doin' here, Luz?" He said way too loud. Luz winced at the sudden noise, and Joe must have noticed since he turned the volume down a bit, popping one of the earbuds out.

"Well well, fancy seeing you here too." His tone was teasing as usual. "I had to finish an assignment for Nix's class. Pretty bummed out about it, too. This is cutting into my weekend plans. And I've got big plans." Joe shot him a curious look, but turned back to his work without another word. Luz pouted like a dog who didn’t get the attention he was craving. He took his key lanyard and popped the USB drive he kept clipped to it into the computer, opening up his assignment. "Don’t you wanna know?"

"Do I wanna know?" Joe flipped it around back to him, typing as he talked, his eyes never leaving the screen.

"Since you wanna know so bad, there's a big shindig happening at my place before finals start. Lots of booze, all our pals are gonna be there. You in?" Luz smirked, on the edge of his seat. He'd only hung out with Joe once before, with Babe and Guarnere. It was during a movie, so it was hard to flirt in the loud darkness of a theater. Even harder to stare at someone's ass when it was parked in a seat. He'd yearned to get more personal with the other man ever since they met. Joe's hands stilled again, hovering over the keyboard.

"Booze, huh? Which pals are we talkin' about?" Gotcha. He snagged his interest. This was definitely progress in Luz's mind.

"Babe and Guarnere are definitely coming. Liebgott is on the fence right now, he's got some shit he's determined to finish before the weekend. Perconte, Malarkey, and Skip are all definitely coming though. Could be more, depends." Joe pursed his lips, dark eyes boring into Luz's own.

"Doesn't sound too big to me." That broke Luz's ego. "I prefer it that way, though. Does sound kinda fun. I'd be down to swing by for a bit." And that stitched his ego right back up. He gave a bright grin, and Joe interrupted before he could speak. "Your girlfriend gonna be there?" Now that confused the hell outta Luz. He raised an eyebrow, his head cocked to the side.

"Girlfriend..? You must be mistaken, buddy. I haven't had a girlfriend in years." Realizing how pathetic that sounded, he rushed to clarify what he meant. "N-not that I can't get a date, heh. I'm not interested in women..." He trailed off, feeling like he was walking on eggshells. He didn't know how Joe felt about gay people. For all he knew, all his flirting went right over the other man's head, or he thought Luz was joking. He braced for the brash man to tell him to take a hike.

"That's good to know." Joe's eyes didn't leave the screen as he talked. Before Luz could ask what he meant, Joe turned the screen off and grabbed a pen and sticky note from the bag at his feet. "Here, take my cell number. Text me details." He handed the slip to Luz, their fingertips brushing together for a split second.

“Oh, okay.” Luz’s words sounded strangled and he grinned like a goofy idiot. Joe leaned forward in his seat a bit, face blank, until a small sly smile of his own broke out. The smaller man’s blood ran cold. Joe’s hooded black eyes scanned the other’s face.

“Thanks for inviting me, Luz. I’m looking forward to it.” Grabbing up his bag as he stood, he waved a small goodbye before opening the door and leaving. Luz sat there in utter disbelief, his mouth refusing to close all the way. 

Was Joe interested in him? Had he been making a move, or was he always that invested in people's love lives? Luz, who had no shame of coming onto people he found attractive, was now flustered and speechless.

He rushed through his assignment as fast as possible, no doubt in his mind that his grade would be lackluster. The weekend couldn’t come fast enough.

***

Luz was definitely speeding. He couldn’t help himself, though. If he couldn’t tell anyone about his encounter with Joe soon, he’d die. Literally. The gas station near campus was perfect for killing 2 birds with 1 stone. Gossiping with his friends that worked there, and buying his party favors.

He ignored his sloppy parking job, hopping out and running to the entrance. He was immediately bombarded with a loud country song playing on the store radio and a whir of cold air. Panting, he rang the bell that sat upfront over and over again. Malarkey poked his head out of the staff door that was behind the counter and laughed to himself.

“Luz! I knew it was you. You look like hell, man, what’s goin’ on?” Luz held up a finger, trying to catch his breath and hunched over. “You ran like 10 feet, that’s got you winded?”

“Listen, Malark, I’m not exactly the spitting image of fitness.” He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and took a big breath. “Okay. I need your expert opinion, ASAP.” The corners of Malarkey’s mouth turned downward, confused. “I could use Skip’s thoughts too, he here today?”

“Skip, get out here.” The other called back to the door he’d come out of before. Skip burst through the flimsy doors a few moments later and gave Luz a small wave. “Our buddy needs us real quick.”

“So what is it, Luz? You torn between what alcohol to buy for your big day?” Skip snickered. Luz stood up straight, a confident smile developing across his face.

“Something unexpected happened, lads, and I need dirt if you two got it. Now brace yourselves.” They glanced at each other, and back to their friend, waiting for him to spill the beans. “I think Joe Toye hit on me.” There was a pause, and then the two younger men snorted, bursting out into laughter. Luz’s smugness turned into a deep frown. He crossed his arms, waiting for the giggles to die down. Malarkey noticed the distressed look on his friend’s face and his laughter petered out.

“Shit, Skip, I don’t think Luz is bullshitting us.” Skip wiped a runaway tear from his cheek, his face red from laughing, but his grin slipped away.

“Are you for real? I didn’t think Toye even swung that way. Seems super straight to me.” Luz snickered, cupping his chin.

"I guess he couldn't resist my charm." Malarkey pursed his lips, still skeptical about the whole ordeal.

"How exactly did this happen? Did he ask you out somewhere?" He leaned against the counter, now invested.

"I invited him to the party and he said yes!" He bounced on his heels, like a giddy schoolgirl. Skip and Malarkey's stared him down, seeming very unenthusiastic. "Oh, what?"

"Not to burst your bubble, Luz, but how was that making a move?"

"Yeah, Skip's right, sounds to me like Joe accepted your invite. That’s all." Luz face palmed, frustrated by their aloof attitudes.

"You guys, he asked if I had a girlfriend and when I said no, he said 'that's good to know'." His eyes widened and he held his hands out in front of himself, desperate for a reaction. He groaned when they didn't say anything. "Before he left, he gave me his number and checked me out! He said he's looking forward to it." Luz gazed into the distance, like he was in some sort of dreamlike state.

"Look Luz. I know you like the guy a lot, but I wouldn't get my hopes up. Toye is a super reserved dude." Malarkey gave a sympathetic smile. Luz rolled his eyes, pointing at the ginger.

"You'll see, Malark. Wait until this weekend. Toye will be putty in my hands. You’ll see too, shrimp." Skip gave him the finger as he started walking towards the beer cooler in the back of the station. "Now that you've broken my spirit, help me pick out a bunch of grandpa's cough syrup, Donald." Malarkey gave a mischievous smirk, and Skip stayed up front, giving the ginger a weary look as he left. He stepped into the cooler’s frosty air, where Luz was crouched and looking at bottles.

"You think Toye likes this bottled piss?" Luz asked, grabbing a bottle from one of the chilled 6 packs of Coronas. "Macho tops always drink piss beer." Malarkey's doe eyes looked his friend over.

"Hard to say, Luz. You should ask before the weekend though." Luz snatched a couple bottles of Captain Morgan and Jack Daniel's.

"Malarkey, get a bottle of Everclear." He grabbed it up, as told, and whistled.

"Damn, you're actually going all out. Ya tryin' to go blind?" Luz shrugged, snatching up a case of the aforementioned piss beer and holding the door open for the other man.

"Depending on how the night goes, maybe. Grab a case of Sam Adam's too, we need variety." Tagging along behind Luz, they sat the variety of drinks in front of the register. Malarkey went around and started ringing them up, twirling each bottle in search of bar codes.

"So how are you planning on sneaking all this into your dorm?" Skip asked while restocking a cigarette dispenser. "Toccoa is a dry campus. You know this, young man." He fake scolded. Luz drummed his fingers on the counter, the lottery tickets on display in the glass jostling.

"It'll all fit in my bag, I'm sure. Easy peasy! Don't worry so much, buddy.” Malarkey's eyes widened as he rang up the last case of beer.

"I'm more worried about your wallet than anything, Luz."

***

“...You might wanna jot that down, Joe.” After 23 chapters of non-stop reading and writing, Joe’s brain had fried to a crisp. His handwriting was chicken scratch at this point. His tongue felt like the god damn Sahara from the constant reading and conversing of the last 5 hours. He scribbled out the rest of David’s rambling and tossed his pen and paper on the coffee table. A big stretch of his limbs followed with an even bigger yawn. “You getting tired?”

“I have been for a while. You wanna take a break for a bit? I need food and a drink. We could watch something.” David shrugged a bit, and for the first time that day he looked out of his element.

“I suppose that’s alright. We shouldn’t slack off that much though, Winters will kill us both if we don’t get this finished.” Joe actually laughed at that, to his surprise, and he wandered over to the fridge to scrounge. Their living room connected to the kitchen in the tiny dorm, so he didn’t stray too far from the couch.

“You want something to drink? What are you English major types into?” David looked over the back of the couch, his mouth hanging open like a fish out of water.

“Do you have La Croix?” Joe snorted grabbing two cans of Coke from the top shelf. He grabbed a bag of chips on his way back over too.

“This isn’t the Ritz-Carlton, pal. You drink this brown syrup like the rest of us.” David half smiled and reluctantly took the bright red can from Joe’s outstretched hand. He gazed down with a displeased look in his eyes as it rested against his knee. Who didn’t like Coke? Weirdo. Joe sat his can next to the now abandoned tablet, squatting in front of his TV and opening a case full of movies. “What kinda flicks do you like, Web?” He turned around when no reply came.

“Uh… psychological thrillers. I like nature documentaries too.” He didn’t have to scan his collection to know he had nothing of the sort. He finally landed on something he thought David might like, and even if he didn’t, Liebgott would enjoy it. He popped it in the DVD player, and returned to his seat. “Web?” Liebgott almost didn't catch the question since it was a simple word. He turned his attention to the other man.

“Yeah, that’s your name isn’t it?” he nodded like it was obvious. “Webster.” David gave a deer in the headlights look, his lips separated once more. That must have been his default expression.

“Well, you aren’t wrong. No one’s ever addressed me like that before.” Liebgott shrugged, skipping through endless ads on the disk to the main menu.

“All my friends go by nicknames or last names, it’s nothing new.” He caught his own weird implication that they were friends and tried to cover it up. “You met George earlier, but no one calls him that. He’s Luz to us. Most people call me Liebgott, not Joe.” Web nodded, the corners of his lips twitching up, and he laughed softly. He gave a questioning look, but decided not to ask.

“So what movie did you pick? Nothing too long, right?” Web sounded like a strict nanny. Liebgott gave a shit eating grin, shrugging.

“Eh, like two hours. I'd say that makes up for 5 hours of reading and writing. Plus, the movie goes with our sci-fi theme.” Web’s curiosity piqued, and he wanted to know more. “Have you seen Flash Gordon?” He shook his head lips pursed in frustration. Finally, something he couldn’t blab about. “It's great, Web. This movie’s got everything.”

Soon, the TV was full of bad 80's haircuts and even worse special effects. They both laughed at the bad acting and cheesy costumes. The whole situation felt strangely comfortable. Moments before, he could have slapped Web for being such a snoot. Maybe he was warming up to his personality at last.

Liebgott couldn’t help but watch all Web's tiny reactions. If he was a softer person, he’d say it was endearing watching David dive into something new for the first time. As the credits rolled, he realized that watching the movie together had been kinda fun. Listening to David's little pieces of commentary had been very entertaining. Especially since Joe already knew the entire film by heart.

“Well, as… interesting as that was, we should probably get back to work. We only have seven chapters left. You want me to read the rest to you?” It was fun while it lasted. In the end, Web was still a tutor. Somehow during the movie, Liebgott forgot about that. It surprised him that Web didn't want to have a chat about how the movie was an allegory for some real world issue. Movies must not have been David’s preference. “If you want, you can follow along over my shoulder. Is it easier for you to pay attention if you’re looking at the text?” Web picked the tablet up and moved closer to the other man. It closed the remaining space between their legs, and Liebgott winced. He could feel the warmth of his leg through his stupid rich college boy khakis.

“I can follow along, I guess.” He watched as Web swiped deftly through the book to the right page, wetting his lips before reading. The words rolled so fluently out of his mouth, and Joe noticed for the first time how soothing the tone of his voice was. His lips were full and enunciated each word with precision. He assumed most English students possessed this fluent skill. “Joe? Are you okay?” He snapped back to the present, realizing he’d been staring at Web for most of the chapter. Jesus Christ. “Any thoughts so far?” He took a sip of his now flat soda, his throat entirely too dry all of a sudden.

“Ya know, I don’t think I can finish this today. I’m too out of the groove of it now.” It was a pitiful excuse, he knew, but he couldn’t focus on the words to save his life. He figured Web would give him a pass for all the work they’d completed, but instead he received a miffed look. Oh boy.

“We shouldn’t have watched the movie. I’d like to finish the book today, it’ll make tomorrow a lot easier on us both.” Liebgott sat forward, his tongue clicking in annoyance. Web might have had a pretty face, but Joe wasn't about to bow down to him. Being forced into something he didn’t want to do never sat well with him.

“We can easily finish the rest of the book tomorrow morning and have the final draft done by the evening. What’s the big deal?” David huffed and turned the tablet's screen off, setting it firmly on the coffee table.

“I do have a schedule tomorrow other than tutoring. If you finish without me, I’ll come over and help you edit your final draft. Deal?” So he had some fire in him after all. He smirked and held his hand out for a shake.

“It’s a deal, Web.” David glanced at his hand, but then grasped it with a small grin of his own. As they were cleaning their study area up, a jingling of keys at the doorknob broke the silence between them. In walked Luz, arms full of grocery bags and his backpack looking heavier than usual.

“You boys are still in the same spot? Damn, take a break.” he joked, kicking their door closed with his foot. Liebgott stepped up and helped take some of the bags from his roomie, and Web started towards the door.

“Well, I’m gonna get going. It was nice meeting you both. You better be prepared to work when I come back tomorrow, Liebgott.” He snapped sternly, pointing an accusatory finger at the other man. Joe could definitely feel his face heat up at the use of his nickname. "I'll be here, 5 o'clock sharp."

“Yeah yeah, whatever Web.” He tried to suppress his lips curling up.

“Web? S’at a pet name I hear?” Luz sat his bags on their kitchen table and hurriedly sauntered back over to the newbie. Liebgott cursed his big mouth. “So, Web, are you coming to my party this weekend? Or did ol’ Liebgott not invite you yet?” David cocked an eyebrow at the shorter man and shrugged his shoulders.

“I haven’t heard a thing about it. But I’d be more than willing to stop by.” His soft smile seemed appreciative. Joe suddenly regretted not asking himself. Luz gave him a big smile and a fist bump.

“Awesome! I’ll give ya the details soon, doll face.” David did a double take at that, but waved them off and went on his way. Luz shut the door behind him and turned to his friend with the most shit eating, know it all grin he’d ever seen. “So? How was it with lover boy?” Joe scoffed, hating the warmth he felt in his cheeks at his words. He picked his phone up and flopped down on the couch.

“S’alright. He’s a bit of a windbag. Good lookin', though. If you keep flirting with him I'll have to break your legs.” Luz’s eyes widened, dark and black.

“You actually like the brain?? I’m surprised, I thought he’d be a bloody pulp by the time I got back. You impress me, Joseph.” The older man teased as he walked back to put his groceries away. Liebgott smiled to himself a bit. Guess Babe had been right about two things then. Damn it.

"Yeah, well. I still have a day to ruin my chances with him. We'll see." Luz laughed, pulling bottles out of his bag and placing them in their fridge.

“I don’t think he’s my type anyway, so that helps your odds. I do know who is though…” He trailed off, closing the fridge and keeping one of the beers for himself. He took a seat in the recliner by their couch and Joe stared over at him with a curious eye.

“You gonna elaborate on that or do I have to pry it outta ya? You better not drink those up before the weekend.” Luz grinned, sly as ever and sat forward like an excited puppy.

“I've got three days, you'll have to keep me in check. Anyway, before I went shopping, guess who I ran into." He held up his pointer finger dramatically, and Liebgott squinted, tired of the theatrics. “Joe Toye. In the flesh!” He should have known. Luz’s infatuation with the man was clear as day. He never shut up about how 'good Joe’s hair looked today' or how 'Joe's gray sweats left nothing to the imagination'. It made him cringe.

“Did you actually have the balls to ask him out this time?” Luz crossed his arms defensively and huffed out a little breath. Big baby.

“I’m getting there, don’t rush a great story! So he’s at one of the computers in the middle of the lab. And I, not knowing a single thing about personal space, stroll over and sit at the computer right next to his.” Liebgott rolls over to bury his face in the couch, groaning in second hand embarrassment.

"It's too painful, wrap this up." Luz shakes his hands and laughs through his words.

“Wait wait, it’s not as bad as it seems. He looked over at me and smiled, and I swear my heart dropped straight to my dick dude. His eyes were stunning, and his shirt was way too tight for his own good. I swear to God, Liebgott, he could’ve ripped through that shi-”

“Luz.” he interrupted and George caught himself mumbling. “Get on with it man, you’re putting me to sleep.” Luz rolled his eyes.

“Fine, long story short, he hit on me. When he comes over this weekend, we're gonna play the longest game of grab-ass on record." Joe's eyes popped open and he sat up faster than lightning.

"Wait, what? He made a move?" Luz bit his bottom lip, beaming.

"He asked if I was seeing a girl. And when I said no, he said 'that's good to know.'" Joe gasped.

"Holy shit. I didn't know Toye swung that way." Luz held up his fists, triumphantly.

"THANK YOU! Finally, some support! Skip and Malarkey said, 'That's just how he interacts.' Straight guys don't know shit, Joe." Liebgott snickered, holding up his now empty coke can.

“I'll drink to that."


	2. Wednesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liebgott makes a mistake that could alter his chances of getting closer to Webster. On the flip side, Luz is thriving as he spends more time with Joe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit shorter than the last, oops. I also didn't get it out as fast as I was hoping to, but I already started chapter 3 if that helps lol. Thanks for the kudos on the last chapter! Hope y'all are enjoying reading! <3

Liebgott rolled over to the sound of his alarm, slapping the snooze button for the 3rd time that morning. He was already 20 minutes late for his class, but 5 extra minutes of sleep was more important to him at the moment. What motivated him to get a move on was the fact that his professor would give him an ass kicking if he didn't show up. He didn't need that kind of confrontation on a terrible morning like this one.

He'd been crawling out of bed in the wee hours of the morning all semester, and yet he still felt sluggish after a day off. Or a day on. In short, he wasn’t an early bird by any means. Talking to him after first waking up would be a death sentence on a bad day.

He threw his covers back, bracing himself from the cold air coming from his fan. No matter how chilly the room got he refused to turn the fan off at night. He had slipped into a white tee shirt and a pair of jeans that were passably clean enough. Before he left, he also snagged the jacket that Luz had stolen from him and shrugged it over his slender frame. He noticed it had a much stronger smell of cigarettes than before. That little thief smoked like a chimney.

The walk to his class was short, but the frigid morning air left him jarred. He was not looking forward to a 3 hour romp of professor Sobel blabbing on about mathematics nonstop. It wasn’t the math part that bugged him though. He actually enjoyed the subject. Math was always concrete. There was always a solid answer and there were no deeper meanings to Calculus equations. No, what made it insufferable was Sobel’s relentless harping on his students. Maybe he'd feel generous and not act like a dick today. He opened the heavy door to the classroom, trying to be as discreet as possible.

"Mr. Liebgott, Do you think you can waltz into my class whenever you feel like it?" So much for letting him off the hook. As soon as he set foot in the door, Sobel's voice bellowed through his ears. All eyes shifted over to him, including Babe who cringed from his seat. Liebgott stood there with an astounded look on his face.

"I uh... over slept, sir. My mistake." Sobel slammed closed the textbook he held, staring daggers into Liebgott's soul.

"It is your job to show up here on time when you're supposed to. I shouldn't, but I'll let you off easy this time." That was a shocker. Liebgott rolled his eyes, making his way to his seat.

"I should feel so blessed." He mumbled it to the rest of the class, some of who giggled, but Babe covered his eyes in horror.

"Would you like to say that a second time so I can actually hear?" Liebgott eyeballed him from his seat, giving a mock, sweet smile.

"I said thank you ever so much, Professor Sobel. Thank you for showing me mercy." He spat out in cockiness, but the deafening quiet of the classroom made him regret his mouthing off. Sobel stared him down from behind his desk, standing his ground.

"Your attitude is shit, Liebgott. If you'd rather fail two classes instead of one, then be my guest. That's no skin off my nose." You could hear a pin drop in the room, but the lecture continued on as if nothing happened. Liebgott could feel his blood pressure rise as he steamed in his seat. He knew he shouldn't have talked back or been late. That didn't make him any less pissed off at being called out.

***

After what felt like a damn eternity, the class came to an end. Liebgott felt drained in all senses. He rushed out of the class as quick as he was able to escape, but stopped at the calling of his name behind him.

"Wait up, Liebgott." Babe came out of the group of students leaving and caught up to Liebgott's rushing form. "Ya doin' okay there, bud? Something the matter?" Liebgott rolled his neck, trying to act nonchalant but coming across as tense either way.

"S'alright. Super tired after having to plow through that report yesterday." Babe's eyes lit up, his toothy smirk shining as usual.

"Did you finish it already? Damn, I'd say that Webster was a good influence on you. That shit with Sobel this morning tells me otherwise, though." Babe ogled at his feet as they walked along, following him all the way back to the dorms.

"Sobel's a dickhead. My grade in his class is perfect, he just wants something to bitch about." He held the front door open for Babe, following behind him. "Web's alright though, for an English major." Babe laughed as they made their way over to the elevator, hitting the second and third floor buttons.

"You're never gonna let that go, huh? I'm glad it was bearable at least. You wanna hang out for a bit tonight? Guarnere is at his girlfriend's place, I need a replacement for the night." Liebgott shook his head as the elevator made its way upward.

"Nah, I'm okay. Web will kill me if I don't start writing today. He may be nice, but he's a hard ass underneath it all." Babe snickered as they reached the second floor.

"I bet. That's a bummer... What a lonely night. Hook me up with one of your friends, Liebgott. I need a boyfriend." His face scrunched as he stepped to leave the elevator.

"All my friends are your friends, Babe."

"I tried." The doors closed, and Babe's phony pout was the last thing he saw.

Sobel's rant put him in an awful funk. He got into rumbles with people often, but being humiliated in front of his peers had drained his energy. All he wanted to do was get back in bed and sleep the rest of the day away. That was the plan, until he opened the door to his dorm and saw… it.

David’s tablet. He left it there for Liebgott to finish the book while he was out… doing David things. He never actually elaborated what he was doing the rest of the day. Not that it mattered. Liebgott closed the door, banging his forehead up against the cool wood. He assumed he’d have the motivation to finish reading, but his efforts were feeling squandered.

‘If I don’t read this, Web will bitch me out to no end.’ He leered down at the black screen where it lay on the tabletop. Caving in, he grabbed the tablet, laying back on his couch and unlocking the screen. Web's wallpaper was some nature shot of 2 great white sharks swimming together. What a nerd. Liebgott paid it no mind and opened the book up instead.

He had plenty of time to get his reading and writing in, and maybe even squeeze in a nap at some point. The book was open to the same part he and Web left off at. He read a lot faster in his head than he could out loud, but that didn’t make the material any less boring and dry.

After only two chapters, he could feel the growing heaviness of his eyelids. Times like these, he realized how comfy his couch was and the urge to doze off was creeping up on him. He tried his hardest to snap out of it, but before he knew it, his eyes were falling closed. The tablet fell limp to his chest.

***

More often than not, Luz was never this nervous to text someone for the first time. Then again, he hadn't pined for a guy from afar for this long either. His mind had been lingering on Joe for a hot minute. Now that he had the opportunity, he found himself struggling for something to say. How do you make an introduction to someone of such high esteem??

A random ‘hey’ was flat out boring. Being too forward might scare him off. He opened up his contacts for the thousandth time with a shaky hand. He had added Joe's number to his list the day prior, but didn't want to bother him so soon after their chat. He scrolled down to Joe’s name and clicked the message icon.

Luz: ‘hey joe it’s luz! you still coming to our place this weekend? 👈😎👈’

He felt slight embarrassment as soon as he hit send. Nothing like debating on a text for a whole day only to send something as corny as the sunglasses emoji. He rolled over on his mattress, burying his face in his pillow and groaning. Why was having actual feelings for people so yucky?

The familiar ping of his phone made his neck snap back up, and he fumbled for it. It almost fell off the edge of his bed, but he caught it just in time with a curse. He couldn’t help but gape at the message displayed in shock.

Joe: ‘Sure thing. You wanna hang out before then?’

His heart pounded against his ribs at a rapid pace. Hang out?? Before??? Without other people there to fall back on if he made an ass of himself? His thumbs moved regardless of his brain’s protests. It was almost like they had a mind of their own.

Luz: ‘hell yeah! we should grab a coffee or something. My treat :D’

His head was definitely not all there today. Asking someone on a coffee date? You might as well admit you were in love with them, everybody knew that! Joe might not be interested in something so small yet so intimate. He'd be learning how Joe takes his coffee, for Christ's sake. What was more telling about someone's personality than that? His phone went off again, buzzing in his hand.

Joe: 'Let's go today ok? We could meet at the coffee shop near campus in 30 minutes. MY treat.'

Luz grinned wide down at the screen, but his eyes widened in realization. 30 minutes. He’d been in bed all day. His hair stuck out in different directions and all he was wearing was a dirty pajama shirt and boxers. He sprung up immediately, lunging toward a basket full of clean, but unfolded, clothes. What do you wear on a date so simple but so important?? Was this even a date at all??

Only 30 minutes, Luz! Kick it in gear! He sifted through the pile, unsure, but finally settled on a dark blue and gray baseball tee and dark jeans. He looked into his bedroom mirror with a sigh. It felt less than impressive, but for something he threw together on a whim, it would do. He decided his nice brown leather jacket could spice it up a bit. It might as well have been brand new, hanging in his closet, rarely touched. He was too busy wearing out all Liebgott’s jackets to use his own. They were too damn comfy to not steal. He snagged it from its hanger, pulling it over his shoulders.

As soon as he set foot out of his bedroom, he realized he'd forgot something.

Luz: i’m on my way now! See u soon

He grabbed his keys from the coffee table where he left them the night before. As he turned to leave, a small snore came from behind him on the couch. When he looked back, Liebgott’s sleeping form lay there, his tablet close to falling out of his grasp. He scrunched his brow, checking the time on his phone. Only 1 o’clock. He decided to let him rest. He’d most likely be up and at ‘em before Web got there, no biggie. He opened their door softly, trying his hardest not to wake his friend, and locked it behind himself.

He pulled into the coffee shop's parking lot about 5 minutes early, and his clammy hands checked his phone. No new messages. He let out a shaky breath, resting his forehead on the steering wheel. Boy oh boy, did Joe make his nerves flare up for no good reason. He popped his car door open, strutting up to the store entrance.

The shop was warm and inviting, more so than the cool Autumn air outside, and the scent of coffee invaded his senses. It was a quaint little shop that he'd walked past a few times on his ventures, but never dropped in. Framed pictures of different bands Luz had never heard of and shelves of books lined the walls. He could almost smell the hipster crowd that no doubt swarmed here.

To his surprise, Joe was already there, sitting at a table with a window view. His dark eyes flicked up from a book he was flipping through, locking on Luz. The low Autumn Sun shined through his irises, giving them a caramel color. He waved him over with an inviting look on his face, and Luz could feel his body relax a bit. It was as if he could breathe normally again. Perhaps this wasn’t going to be a complete disaster.

“Hey, you’re here a lot earlier than I thought you’d be.” He said from his seat as Luz walked up. Joe greeted him first, what a welcome turn of events. He was so used to his stoic attitude.

“You trying to imply something by that, Toye?” The corners of Joe’s mouth twitched up.

“Yeah, you seem like the type that’s late, is all.” His smug eyes drooped like he was proud of himself. Luz snorted through his nose. He wasn’t wrong, but that didn’t mean Luz appreciated getting called out. He picked up the small menu card that was on their table, skimming over it.

“I’ve never been here until today. Most of my friends take me to much classier establishments, such as Starbucks. Got any recommendations?” Toye took the menu from him, sucking in a long breath. He tutted, and Luz couldn't help but think the worry lines of his forehead were cute.

“Depends on what you’re into.” He sat the card on the table, glancing up at the other through his thick lashes. “Bet you can’t guess my drink of choice.” Luz rubbed his hands together, always down for a gamble.

“Let’s see… You're very mature for your age and kinda reserved. You make me think of those lunatics that take their coffee black.” Joe grimaced, almost withdrawing in on himself.

“Man, is that the vibe I’m giving off? Black coffee might as well be torture. Mocha Latte is my go-to.” Luz cringed at himself. Way to insult your crush, George. That’ll win him over. He tried to cover it up ASAP, masking a confident look.

“Chai sounds good though, I prefer hot tea on chilly days.” Joe stood, his chair scraping against the wood floor.

“Let’s go get you one then. We aren't gettin' any younger, are we?” His open palms splayed on the tabletop and loomed over the other in his seat. Luz could have melted at the way his voice resonated. Even when he spoke softly, he could feel the reverb of it in his chest. He swallowed the lump in his throat, standing up as Joe lead him over to the barista.

That’s when he noticed something that actually took him back. Joe wore cargo shorts that stopped at shin length. He wasn’t about to clock his straight guy fashion sense, no. What made him stop in his tracks was the meeting of flesh to metal. A prosthetic made up his left leg, and George couldn’t help when his gaze lingered on it for longer than it should have.

“George?” He snapped out of his trance to the gaze of Joe and the confused barista. How long had they been waiting on him? He coughed into his fist, trying to play it off like it wasn’t super awkward.

“Sorry, I was in lala-land.” He hoped to God Joe hadn't noticed his staring. “I want a medium hot Chai Latte.” Joe gave a tight smile that seemed uncomfortable until he turned back to the girl behind the counter.

“He’ll have a large instead.” He gave Luz a wink when he turned back and he could feel the warmth of blood spread through his cheeks. God damn, he was in deep.

They lingered around the counter, not saying much to one another. Luz wanted to wait until they were away to dig deeper into the details about himself. As the barista came from the back with 2 large cups in hand, Joe paid, pocketing his change. He handed Luz his cup, making their way back to the table.

“Are you gonna ask about it?” His focus snapped back to Joe, and he mentally pinched himself. He couldn't pay attention for shit today. It took a moment for the words to process.

“About what?” He asked with a furrowed brow. Joe gave a calm look as he sipped his coffee, taking his seat back up and flipping through the book again. He wasn't reading it, so much as using it as something to occupy his hands with. "Your book?" Out of all the jokes Luz cracked, an actual question was what got Joe to finally laugh.

“You don’t have to act like it doesn’t exist, Luz. I know you noticed my prosthetic already.” Luz's eyes widened.

“I… I was curious, I’ll admit, but we don’t have to talk about it, ya know?” Joe shrugged, not seeming bothered at all by the other acting like a complete stooge. Luz fumbled in his pocket for a cigarette and his lighter. He’d probably blow threw the whole pack before the day was over.

“I don’t mind. You’re distracted by it, so I can explain.” Ain’t that a bitch. He hadn’t meant to be staring in the first place, but it must have been rude nonetheless. He rubbed the back of his neck, silent. “It’s nothing too riveting. A few years ago, I took a hike through a mountain path in my home town. I tripped and my leg got fucked to Hell and back. Long story short, the damage was irreversible. It had to go or it would have killed me.” He stared out the window at the setting sun as he recounted the story. Luz drummed his fingers against his cup nervously.

“I’m sorry you went through that, Joe. I can’t even imagine…” He trailed off, tracing the veins in the granite tabletop. “I was only staring because it's not something I was aware of.”

“Don’t feel bad, Luz. Stares are something I'm used to at this point. You’re allowed to be curious.” He laughed, and George wasn’t sure what at, but he giggled a little too with him. “Hell, I wore shorts in this cold weather just to see how you’d react to my leg.” Luz’s mouth gaped at him in disbelief.

“You’re kidding! Boy, I thought you had the same ridiculous fashion sense all straight men seem to have this time of year.” He smiled into the rim of his cup, taking a sip of scalding hot tea. Joe scrunched his face, as if the comment hadn't sat well with him. Luz gulped down hard.

“Why don't we go for a walk, Luz? There’s a park trail near here we could explore if you’re up for it. Not too big. It’s a real sight when the leaves are changing.” Luz was confused at his idea of hanging out. He didn’t seem like the sentimental type, but he supposed anything could be under all those macho layers.

"Sounds alright to me."

The brisk air slapped him in the face as the door opened. It was a short walk to the park from there, and the lack of cars and pedestrians made it much more tranquil. Luz's only hope was that his out of shape legs didn't cave in under himself by the end of the walk.

"So, you think I’m straight, huh?” Luz side eyed him, the sound of his voice startling in the still air. He was unsure how to respond. Like… yes? No?? It seemed impossible to decipher at this point. “What kinda straight guy asks another to coffee and a stroll through the park?” His raspy voice asked, stopping in his tracks. Luz perked up.

“I’ll give it to ya straight up, Joe. I had no idea what this was supposed to be.” He took a long drag, the smoke showing up clear as day in the cold air. Joe gave him a blank stare, making Luz’s confidence flat line. “All my friends told me you were straight and that I shouldn’t waste my time on you. Well, everyone but Liebgott, of course. Kid’s as straight as a 90 degree angle.” He stopped mumbling when he noticed Joe still staring into his soul.

“I’m glad I can clear the air today, then. I’m very interested in you.” He stared down between them as he admitted it, eyes caught on a stray yellow leaf. It was neat to see the more bashful side of Joe. “I’ve never been with a guy before, though. I guess you weren't entirely wrong about the straight thing.” He scratched his temple, seeming as though he couldn't trust his own judgement. Luz let out a strangled breath, not sure how to take this news.

“So… you’re straight. But you wanted to go on a date with me?” Joe pinched the bridge of his nose, cursing under his breath.

“Agh, I knew this would be a pain in the ass.” He ran his hand through his hair in a stressful manner. “Here’s the truth of the matter. I’ve had an interest in guys for a while, but never enough to pursue someone. You’re sorta poppin’ my bisexual cherry.” He grinned up, his voice gravelly. God damn.

“That’s one very dirty way to put it, heh.” Luz kicked the ground with the tips of his toes. “You should know, I've had my eye on you for a while now. I’ve learned from many years of being openly gay that I can’t waste my time on straight boys who are unsure of themselves.” Joe pursed his lips, his eyes drifting to the ground again.

“I’m not unsure about my feelings for you. I’d never use you like an experiment. We can take it slow for now, if you’d like.” He switched his cup to his other hand, unable to stay still. “That is, if you want this to go anywhere.” Luz wanted to scream yes, abso-fucking-lutely. Even so, he kept his composure, clearing his throat.

“Y-yeah, I’d like that a lot. If that’s what you want, of course.” This day was pulling through in his favor at every turn. Joe stared into Luz’s eyes like he was trying to memorize their color.

“Taking it slow is gonna be kinda hard for me.” He brought his hand up, raking his thumb over Luz’s chin in a gentle swipe. “You’re real cute.” His dark lashes fluttered against his cheeks. It should have been charming. But Luz snorted, and couldn’t help himself when he burst out laughing, hunched over. Joe watched with his head cocked, as if he’d done something wrong.

“I-I’m so sorry I- pfft, I’m not laughing at you, I swear. You’re good.” He covered his mouth, trying to stifle the giggles and hacking on smoke. “I’m in a bit of shock right now, laughing hysterically is a nervous habit.” Joe rolled his eyes dramatically, continuing along the trail. Luz got out the rest of his fit and hurried up behind him. When he caught up, Joe was shaking his hand of the cold radiating from his drink, switching it back to the other.

“First I wear shorts out here, then I get coffee. Iced. What a shit show eh, Luz?” Luz eyed him up, like he was plotting.

“Ya know, my hands are awful warm from this tea. I bet I could warm yours up real easy.” He flicked his cigarette out into the grass along the path.

“That your idea of taking it slow?” Luz scoffed, shoving his hand in his pocket.

“What are you, a damn prude? There’s a difference between taking your time and having a no contact order.” He reached over to Luz and grabbed his hand back out of his pocket, lacing their fingers together.

“Shut up already, Luz.” That was the Joe Toye he knew.

***

Joe woke up from his deep sleep, sitting up and rubbing his head. His neck was killing him from the way it had propped up against the couch’s arm the last few hours. He cuddled up on his side, closing his eyes again, but they popped back open in horror. He shot up, grabbing his phone and opening the lock screen. 3:10PM. Fucking hell. He slept for 3 goddamn hours. He did that.

Turning on the overhead light, he hurried back to the tablet to figure out where he’d left off. He had less than 2 hours to finish 5 whole chapters, figure out what the hell they meant, and write an entire rough draft. In Layman's terms, he was absolutely fucked. Nonetheless, he sat back with the correct page open and as fast as his brain could comprehend the text, he read.

It seemed like the chapters dragged on and on, each one feeling longer than the last. He couldn't grasp what the chapters were trying to tell him. He wrote down things he felt like he should remember from each chapter, but for all he knew it was useless. Recalling things David told him to look out for wasn’t easy when he only half paid attention to his advice.

Right at the end of the second to last chapter, a loud knocking at his door made him jolt out of his deep concentration. He rubbed stray tears from his eyes, grabbing his phone from his pocket to check the time. 5:10PM. He slapped his forehead, pissed off at his weak willpower. Sleep was so damn great when it didn't screw you over, and it had messed his entire day up. Web was no doubt going to rock his shit for not finishing this sooner. Most of all, for not even starting the rough draft. Thinking he might as well get it over with, he stood up and reluctantly opened his front door.

Web looked a lot more casual than he had the day before. He had a Toccoa sweatshirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his hair was much messier than before.

"Sorry I'm late, I had an evening class that lasted a bit longer than I anticipated. At least it gave you more time to work, though." He beamed, pushing past Liebgott as soon as the door opened and took up his same spot on the couch from before.

"Come right in, Web." Liebgott snarked, closing the door and standing in front of him. "About that…" He trailed off, avoiding eye contact. Web's face fell, as if he knew bad news was coming. "I kind of… fell asleep for a few hours. I only got 5 chapters finished. I didn't even start writing my paper." Web stared him down, not saying a word, his lips parted in shock.

"You're kidding, right?" The posh, confident tone in his voice was slipping, replaced with something more cold. Liebgott grit his teeth, not ready for the ass chewing he was about to receive. And not necessarily in the mood to give it back in full force.

"No, I'm dead serious. I'm real sorry." Liebgott sat next to him, kicking his feet up on the coffee table. "So, you feel like pulling an all nighter?" He grinned, punching him in the shoulder playfully. He figured it wouldn't hurt to try and defuse the situation by acting as though it was no big deal. The sound of Web's apathetic laugh made Liebgott realize he was walking on eggshells.

"You realize I've been working all day, right? I thought you'd have at least something we could work with at this point." Liebgott’s jaw clenched, annoyed at the situation. He was internally kicking himself over and over for his mistake.

"Look, I get that I fucked up, don’t rub it in. We have the rest of tonight and tomorrow to finish it. What's the problem?" Web's brow furrowed.

"The problem is that I'm here to help you write, not to write the whole assignment for you." He folded his arms and sat back. Liebgott squinted at his accusatory tone.

"I tried to read it. I had a long, shitty class this morning with Sobel, so I was tired afterwards. Cut me some slack.” Web rolled his eyes, scoffing.

“I was up at 6 this morning and had two classes that lasted all day. I haven’t slept since then. It’s always the guys like you that make up lame excuses.” Web said it under his breath, flipping through Liebgott's neglected notebook. He shook his head when he saw the sloppy, convoluted notes he had taken by himself.

“Oh, guys like me, huh? Exactly what kind of guy am I in your eyes? Ya know, after the whole day you’ve known me, you’re clearly the expert.” He threw his arms up in frustration. He could only hold back his anger for so long, and if Web kept pushing it, he might blow up completely.

“You don’t try. Or listen. You do whatever you want with no fear of the repercussions.” Web put up a damn good facade of acting nice and calm. Liebgott gave his own dry chuckle.

“I’m sorry I’m not into your shitty complicated books, David. Believe it or not, I do try very hard in my Calculus and Chemistry classes. Ya know, where the effort is worth my time. Where the effort is towards a career that’s worth a damn.” He spat the words out, laced with venom. David sat by with a sour look on his face.

“You realize I volunteered to help you, right? I don’t have to be here if I don’t want to be.”

“You realize I never wanted you here in the first place, right? Especially not when you're giving up on me at the drop of a hat.” With that, David snatched the tablet from the couch cushion it rested on. Liebgott watched with a hard stare as he stood from his seat, marching over to the door.

“I'll let Winters know you no longer want my help. Good luck with that report. I’m sure you’ll need it.” He looked back at Liebgott and a flicker of pain flashed through his blue eyes. With a firm thud, the door shut, and David was gone.

Liebgott wanted to feel justified in his actions. He wanted to let him walk away and never look back. But his parting words made a deep seed of regret bloom in his stomach. He knew he didn't mean the words he said. David got under his skin, he couldn't help it.

He had no doubt in his mind that without David, he'd fail this class. He didn't know jack-shit, fuck-all about writing, and David was the best person he could ask for help. And he blew it almost instantly.

He realized his chances were slipping the longer he sat there twiddling his thumbs. He strode towards the door with a quick pace. When he threw it open, he could hear Webster’s loud footsteps as he descended the staircase to the lobby.

It had been a while since Liebgott took the stairs. He always opted to take the elevator to their dorm, or to any of their neighboring friend’s rooms. He was sure David knew the elevator was an option. It was almost impossible to miss when you entered the building. David seemed to exist to make his life harder, didn’t he? He sped down the stairs as fast as his lanky legs would allow him, almost tripping a few times along the way.

By the time he made it to the first floor, the glass doors of the entrance were already swinging shut. The lobby was empty, aside from himself. Boy, did he feel like an asshole.

Should have taken the damn elevator.

***

"You're a big bulky ice cube, Toye. I'm not lettin' you walk home." Joe shivered, leaning against Luz's car and trying to hide the fact that he was freezing his ass off. It was obvious his thin jacket and shorts weren't doing him any favors. He tried his best to smile through his chattering teeth and shrugged off Luz's offer.

"It's a short walk, my apartment is only 10 minutes away." Luz raised an eyebrow at him, baffled at his reluctance to make things easy on himself. "I don’t wanna eat up anymore of your time, Luz. get outta here.” Luz fiddled with his keys, unlocking his door and giving the other an annoyed look.

After an entire day of walking through foliage and a hilly park trail, anyone normal would give in to a free car ride. Of course, Joe's pride kept him from obliging. Luz assumed he might be bothered by social exhaustion more than physical. Joe was quite the loner, of course. Talking to someone new all day might have worn him down a lot more than exercising.

“So help me God, Toye, if you don’t get in this damn car right now I will run you over.” Sliding into his seat, he leaned over and threw the passenger door open. He lovingly pat the seat next to his. Joe sneered, and caved in. Luz pumped his fist, proud of his achievement.

“You lose all shame once you’re comfortable with someone, don't you?” Luz started the car and cranked the heat up as high as it went, flicking the radio on as well. He shrugged, backing out of the parking lot and rolling onto the road.

“I don’t like the idea of a handsome man such as yourself getting frostbite all because I didn’t give you a car ride.” Joe shook his head in disbelief.

“That might be the dumbest thing I’ve heard you say yet.” He watched the small shops downtown passing by. The silence between them was easier to handle now than it ever had been before, and Joe hummed to himself. “You’ll have to tell me which dorm you live in so I know where to go on Saturday. Or so I can slip over before then to surprise you.” Luz couldn’t help the sappy look he pulled.

“Okay, stalker.” Joe gave a disapproving glance. Luz couldn’t help but bullshit any chance he could. “You’re no fun. We live on the second floor. Room 30. Easy enough for ya?”

“Yeah, I’ve been in there to hang out with Guarnere plenty of times, I can navigate it fairly well. I haven't seen you around there before. Never realized you lived so close to him.” Luz wasn’t surprised. When he wasn’t in class, he was either holed up in his room or working. Though he felt bothered that Guarnere and Babe had failed to mention he lived in the same building they did. Talk about sorry excuses for wing men.

“You better get familiar with it, then. I’m sure you’ll be over a lot from now on.” With a tight smile, Joe stayed silent. He watched as Luz turned into the circle drive of his apartment complex. The tiny crop of housing stood out from the rest of the area, looking well cared for and hidden away in its own corner. Luz envied the fact that his building was one story and separated from the other residents. No loud footsteps and the sound of people banging at 3AM to wake him up. He pulled off where Joe told him to and the cars engine died down, the low music cutting off as well.

“Thanks for the ride. And spending time with me.” Luz gave him a firm pat on the back, his hand lingering a little too long after the fact.

“It was a blast, Joe. You'll have to let me take you some place nice next time.” Joe gave him a soft, doughy smile, but it faded away in a matter of seconds. The silence of the car was palpable, and he could tell Joe had something heavy on his mind. Luz's doe eyes flickered, watching the other's face like a hawk. "Everything okay?" Joe gazed down to his feet in the floorboard, never meeting Luz's concerned look.

"Earlier when you found out about my leg... that didn't change your mind about me, did it?" Luz's mouth gaped, not believing what he was hearing.

"You kiddin'? I assure you Joe, if something had changed my mind about you, I would have turned around at that coffee shop and ran for my life." Joe puffed out a laugh, his grin wide. Luz couldn't help but side eye him in admiration. "And I sure as hell wouldn't hint towards another date later on."

"I'll stop bein' a wuss about it, I promise. Some people have refused to date me because of it, believe it or not." Luz grimaced, clutching his steering wheel.

"Some people are total dumb asses. You're the whole package, Toye." Joe reached over and punched his arm a bit harder than he had intended to. Luz winced, reaching up to rub the sore spot, but smiling nonetheless.

"You're a real peach. Now, get home safe or I’ll clobber ya." He got out, lingering in the door way for a second, almost reluctant to leave. "I'll see ya around, Georgie.” With a smirk, he walked off, shutting his door and leaving Luz a melting puddle of emotions in the driver’s seat.

***

Luz threw their front door open, storming in and clapping his hands together.

“This was the greatest goddamn day of all time, Liebgott.” The latter grimaced up at him, clearly not in the mood to talk. Liebgott was huddled under a big blanket on the couch. He was watching Die Hard for what had to be the millionth time in his life.

“Where the hell have you been?” He looked up at Luz with a grumpy pout, hovering above him.

“What are you, my wife?” Luz glanced at the TV and sucked in a regretful breath through the back of his teeth. “Oh God. Something happened, didn’t it? Die Hard is the equivalent of a sad chick flick to you.” Luz could read him like a book. Guess that came along with being roomies for a couple years. He sat up, pausing the movie.

“I slept all day and didn’t finish my assignment. When Web showed up, he threw a hissy fit and I told him off. I got nothing done.” Luz sat next to him and kicked his feet up on the coffee table.

“Yeesh. That short temper is gonna get the best of you some day.” Surprisingly, Liebgott snorted under his breath.

“Sobel gave me the same exact speech today. Damn, I’m really regretting not listening to Sobel now. How humiliating.” He pressed his palms hard into his eyes, hunching over in shame. Luz wheezed next to him and slapped his back.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I bet I can help you more than Web ever could have. I passed that class easily.” The idea of Luz helping him with his report was on par with Sobel being right about his bad attitude. Very embarrassing. He brushed off the offer with a wave.

“If I kick myself in the ass and stop avoiding it, I’ll get it done. Would still be easier if I hadn’t have chewed the guy out.” He rested his head against the back of the couch, annoyed with himself. “I’ll have to pick up the book in the morning from the library since Web never brought me an actual copy.” Luz sprung forward excitedly, shaking the other by the shoulder playfully.

“That’s the spirit. You’ll get it done without him, I know it. Now listen to the amazing night I had, I'm sure you'll feel better.” He wrung his hands together like he was dying to spill the beans. Liebgott only half paid attention to his rambling, still lost in his thoughts about the paper. And David.

He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t hoping the interactions would lead to something more than tutoring sessions. Hearing Luz talk about how well his date went only made him long for the deep connection with another person that much more. He wasn’t sure what drew him to the other man so much. Opposites must attract at times, he supposed.

“That’s nice, Luz.”

“I wasn’t even done talking!”

***

The college’s library was the biggest one Liebgott had ever been to. He couldn't remember the last time he had strolled through here since most of the books he read were text books. Needless to say, he was way out of his element. He searched high and low for the book, but it didn’t seem to be anywhere in the SciFi or Horror sections.

He was by no means the type that liked asking for help. Especially in a library where his tone and volume didn’t go hand in hand. He cursed louder than he intended to when his search was fruitless, looking around to make sure no one was near.

Making his way out of the large aisle of books, he wandered up to the service desk. Surely someone was around to search the book up and find out where the hell it was. A glimpse of the familiar face sitting at the desk stopped him dead in his tracks. His blood ran cold when he locked eyes with a set of ice cold, blue irises.

This could only end well for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We love a cliffhanger! I sincerely hope I'm doing these boys justice and keeping them in character, but I find Joe in particular hard to write. Also I deadass only made Sobel a math professor because all the math teachers I've ever had have been dicks.
> 
> I think I'll enjoy writing chapter 3 a lot more than this one, it was a bit challenging to finish up. But in the end, I'm satisfied with it. Thank you all for reading! <3333


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